the turn of the screw-第21节

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My　hand　was　on　my　friend's　arm；　but　she　failed　for　the　moment；

confronted　with　such　an　account　of　the　matter；　to　respond　to　my　pressure。

She　communed；　on　the　contrary；　on　the　spot；　with　her　uneasiness。

〃And　where's　Master　Miles？〃



〃Oh；　HE'S　with　Quint。　　They're　in　the　schoolroom。〃



〃Lord；　miss！〃　　My　view；　I　was　myself　awareand　therefore　I　suppose　my　tone

had　never　yet　reached　so　calm　an　assurance。



〃The　trick's　played；〃　I　went　on；　〃they've　successfully　worked　their　plan。

He　found　the　most　divine　little　way　to　keep　me　quiet　while　she　went　off。〃



〃'Divine'？〃　Mrs。　Grose　bewilderedly　echoed。



〃Infernal；　then！〃　　I　almost　cheerfully　rejoined。

〃He　has　provided　for　himself　as　well。　　But　come！〃



She　had　helplessly　gloomed　at　the　upper　regions。

〃You　leave　him？〃



〃So　long　with　Quint？　　YesI　don't　mind　that　now。〃



She　always　ended；　at　these　moments；　by　getting　possession　of

my　hand；　and　in　this　manner　she　could　at　present　still　stay　me。

But　after　gasping　an　instant　at　my　sudden　resignation；

〃Because　of　your　letter？〃　she　eagerly　brought　out。



I　quickly；　by　way　of　answer；　felt　for　my　letter；　drew　it　forth；　held　it　up；

and　then；　freeing　myself；　went　and　laid　it　on　the　great　hall　table。

〃Luke　will　take　it；〃　I　said　as　I　came　back。　　I　reached　the　house　door

and　opened　it；　I　was　already　on　the　steps。



My　companion　still　demurred：　　the　storm　of　the　night　and　the　early

morning　had　dropped；　but　the　afternoon　was　damp　and　gray。

I　came　down　to　the　drive　while　she　stood　in　the　doorway。

〃You　go　with　nothing　on？〃



〃What　do　I　care　when　the　child　has　nothing？　　I　can't　wait

to　dress；〃　I　cried；　〃and　if　you　must　do　so；　I　leave　you。

Try　meanwhile；　yourself；　upstairs。〃



〃With　THEM？〃　Oh；　on　this；　the　poor　woman　promptly　joined　me！







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIX





We　went　straight　to　the　lake；　as　it　was　called　at　Bly；　and　I　daresay

rightly　called；　though　I　reflect　that　it　may　in　fact　have　been　a　sheet

of　water　less　remarkable　than　it　appeared　to　my　untraveled　eyes。

My　acquaintance　with　sheets　of　water　was　small；　and　the　pool

of　Bly；　at　all　events　on　the　few　occasions　of　my　consenting；

under　the　protection　of　my　pupils；　to　affront　its　surface

in　the　old　flat…bottomed　boat　moored　there　for　our　use；

had　impressed　me　both　with　its　extent　and　its　agitation。

The　usual　place　of　embarkation　was　half　a　mile　from　the　house；

but　I　had　an　intimate　conviction　that；　wherever　Flora　might　be；

she　was　not　near　home。　　She　had　not　given　me　the　slip　for　any

small　adventure；　and；　since　the　day　of　the　very　great　one

that　I　had　shared　with　her　by　the　pond；　I　had　been　aware；

in　our　walks；　of　the　quarter　to　which　she　most　inclined。

This　was　why　I　had　now　given　to　Mrs。　Grose's　steps　so　marked

a　directiona　direction　that　made　her；　when　she　perceived　it；

oppose　a　resistance　that　showed　me　she　was　freshly　mystified。

〃You're　going　to　the　water；　Miss？you　think　she's　IN？〃



〃She　may　be；　though　the　depth　is；　I　believe；　nowhere　very　great。

But　what　I　judge　most　likely　is　that　she's　on　the　spot　from　which；

the　other　day；　we　saw　together　what　I　told　you。〃



〃When　she　pretended　not　to　see？〃



〃With　that　astounding　self…possession？　I've　always　been　sure　she　wanted

to　go　back　alone。　　And　now　her　brother　has　managed　it　for　her。〃



Mrs。　Grose　still　stood　where　she　had　stopped。　　〃You　suppose　they

really　TALK　of　them？〃



〃I　could　meet　this　with　a　confidence！　　〃They　say　things　that；

if　we　heard　them；　would　simply　appall　us。〃



〃And　if　she　IS　there〃



〃Yes？〃



〃Then　Miss　Jessel　is？〃



〃Beyond　a　doubt。　　You　shall　see。〃



〃Oh；　thank　you！〃　my　friend　cried；　planted　so　firm　that；

taking　it　in；　I　went　straight　on　without　her。　　By　the　time

I　reached　the　pool；　however；　she　was　close　behind　me；　and　I

knew　that；　whatever；　to　her　apprehension；　might　befall　me；

the　exposure　of　my　society　struck　her　as　her　least　danger。

She　exhaled　a　moan　of　relief　as　we　at　last　came　in　sight

of　the　greater　part　of　the　water　without　a　sight　of　the　child。

There　was　no　trace　of　Flora　on　that　nearer　side　of　the　bank

where　my　observation　of　her　had　been　most　startling；

and　none　on　the　opposite　edge；　where；　save　for　a　margin

of　some　twenty　yards；　a　thick　copse　came　down　to　the　water。

The　pond；　oblong　in　shape；　had　a　width　so　scant　compared

to　its　length　that；　with　its　ends　out　of　view；　it　might　have

been　taken　for　a　scant　river。　　We　looked　at　the　empty　expanse；

and　then　I　felt　the　suggestion　of　my　friend's　eyes。

I　knew　what　she　meant　and　I　replied　with　a　negative　headshake。



〃No；　no；　wait！　　She　has　taken　the　boat。〃



My　companion　stared　at　the　vacant　mooring　place　and　then　again　across

the　lake。　　〃Then　where　is　it？〃



〃Our　not　seeing　it　is　the　strongest　of　proofs。　　She　has　used　it　to　go　over；

and　then　has　managed　to　hide　it。〃



〃All　alonethat　child？〃



〃She's　not　alone；　and　at　such　times　she's　not　a　child：　　she's　an　old；

old　woman。〃　　I　scanned　all　the　visible　shore　while　Mrs。　Grose　took　again；

into　the　queer　element　I　offered　her；　one　of　her　plunges　of　submission；

then　I　pointed　out　that　the　boat　might　perfectly　be　in　a　small　refuge

formed　by　one　of　the　recesses　of　the　pool；　an　indentation　masked；

for　the　hither　side；　by　a　projection　of　the　bank　and　by　a　clump　of　trees

growing　close　to　the　water。



〃But　if　the　boat's　there；　where　on　earth's　SHE？〃

my　colleague　anxiously　asked。



〃That's　exactly　what　we　must　learn。〃　　And　I　started　to　walk　further。



〃By　going　all　the　way　round？〃



〃Certainly；　far　as　it　is。　　It　will　take　us　but　ten　minutes；

but　it's　far　enough　to　have　made　the　child　prefer　not　to　walk。

She　went　straight　over。〃



〃Laws！〃　cried　my　friend　again；　the　chain　of　my　logic　was　ever

too　much　for　her。　　It　dragged　her　at　my　heels　even　now；

and　when　we　had　got　halfway　rounda　devious；　tiresome　process；

on　ground　much　broken　and　by　a　path　choked　with　overgrowth

I　paused　to　give　her　breath。　　I　sustained　her　with　a　grateful　arm；

assuring　her　that　she　might　hugely　help　me；　and　this　started

us　afresh；　so　that　in　the　course　of　but　few　minutes　more　we　reached

a　point　from　which　we　found　the　boat　to　be　where　I　had　supposed　it。

It　had　been　intentionally　left　as　much　as　possible　out　of　sight

and　was　tied　to　one　of　the　stakes　of　a　fence　that　came；　just　there；

down　to　the　brink　and　that　had　been　an　assistance　to　disembarking。

I　recognized；　as　I　looked　at　the　pair　of　short；　thick　oars；

quite　safely　drawn　up；　the　prodigious　character　of　the　feat

for　a　little　girl；　but　I　had　lived；　by　this　time；　too　long

among　wonders　and　had　panted　to　too　many　livelier　measures。

There　was　a　gate　in　the　fence；　through　which　we　passed；

and　that　brought　us；　after　a　trifling　interval；　more　into　the　open。

Then；　〃There　she　is！〃　we　both　exclaimed　at　once。



Flora；　a　short　way　off；　stood　before　us　on　the　grass　and　smiled

as　if　her　performance　was　now　complete。　　The　next　thing　she　did；

however；　was　to　stoop　straight　down　and　pluckquite　as　if　it

were　all　she　was　there　fora　big；　ugly　spray　of　withered　fern。

I　instantly　became　sure　she　had　just　come　out　of　the　copse。

She　waited　for　us；　not　herself　taking　a　step；　and　I　was

conscious　of　the　rare　solemnity　with　which　we　presently

approached　her。　　She　smiled　and　smiled；　and　we　met；　but　it

was　all　done　in　a　silence　by　this　time　flagrantly　ominous。

Mrs。　Grose　was　the　first　to　break　the　spell：　　she　threw

herself　on　her　knees　and；　drawing　the　child　to　her　breast；

clasped　in　a　long　embrace　the　little　tender；　yielding　body。

While　this　dumb　convulsion　lasted　I　could　only　watch　it

which　I　did　the　more　intently　when　I　saw　Flora's　face　peep

at　me　over　our　companion's　shoulder。　　It　was　serious　now

the　flicker　had　left　it；　but　it　strengthened　the　pang　with　which　I

at　that　moment　envied　Mrs。　Grose　the　simplicity　of　HER　relation。

Still；　all　this　while；　nothing　more　passed　between　us　save

that　Flora　had　let　her　foolish　fern　again　drop　to　the　ground。

What　she　and　I　had　virtually　said　to　each　other　was　that

pretexts　were　useless　now。　　When　Mrs。　Grose　finally　got　up　she

kept　the　child's　hand；　so　that　the　two　were　still　before　me；

and　the　singular　reticence　of　our　communion　was　even　more

marked　in　the　frank　look　she　launched　me。　　〃I'll　be　hanged；〃

it　said；　〃if　_I_'ll　speak！〃



It　was　Flora　who；　gazing　all　over　me　in　candid　wonder；

was　the　first。　　She　was　struck　with　our　bareheaded　aspect。

〃Why；　where　are　your　things？〃



〃Where　yours　are；　my　dear！〃　　I　promptly　returned。



She　had　already　got　back　her　gaiety；　and　appeared　to　take

this　as　an　answer　quite　sufficient。　　〃And　where's　Miles？〃

she　went　on。



There　was　something　in　the　small　valor　of　it　that　quite　finished　me：

these　three　words　from　her　were；　in　a　flash　like　the　glitter　of　a

drawn　blade；　the　jostle　of　the　cup　that　my　hand；　for　weeks　and　weeks；

had　held　high　and　full　to　the　brim　that　now；　even　before　speaking；

I　felt　overflow　in　a　deluge。　　〃I'll　tell